2:00 – The Invite said that the function will commence at 2:00 PM. We reach the venue, but realise the function has been delayed by a few mins. The venue was a five-star hotel at Mumbai, so we didn’t mind at all and enjoyed the leisure.
2:30 – At the venue Bajaj had showcased all the versions of the Pulsar, right from the one which was launched in 2001 to the latest version which was launched in 2009. The company had also put up a list of awards that the Pulsar has received in its production cycle.
2:40 – The development of the Pulsar started way back in 1998, with commercial launch taking place only in 2001. The second generation Pulsar being launched today is all new and uses an all-new technology.
2:47 – 4-valve compression technology chamber and triple spark technology to feature in the Pulsar forimproved fuel economy and performance. The added spark plug promises faster combustion, and also increases power. The new Pulsar is unveiled and it’s called – Pulsar 200 NS.
2:55 – The NS stands for Naked Sport, and the bikelooks slightly similar to the Yamaha’s FZ series. Liquid cooled engine with 4-valves is showcased separately and like any other sports bike, the Pulsar now gets a carburettor. With the help of a few images and video, the advantages of a Triple-Spark technology are explained. The bike comes with a 6-Speed gearbox, and produces 23.5 BHP despite the downsizing.
3:00 – The bike creates 18.3 Nm of torque at 8000 RPM. The bike weighs 145 Kg and comes with a light weight fuel tank that can hold 12 litres of fuel. The bike doesn’t come with ABS. though disk brakes are standard.With the new design, the Exhaust is now in the center.
3:05 -Bajaj Pulsar 200 NS will be priced under Rs. 1 lakh. Mr Bajaj puts stress on how all the other sports bikes cost more than a lakh.
3:10 – Bajaj has no plans of phasing out old Pulsars as of now. However they will be phased out eventually.
3:20 – The Pulsar is the world’s first single-cylinder bike to feature the triple-spark technology. The Bike touches 60 kmph in less than 4 seconds, 100 in 9.8 secs!The bike tops of at 136 kmph. Expected mileage @55kmph – 58 Kmpl.
3:30 –The Pulsar is the world’s most profitable bike, and has made Bajaj the world’s most profitable bike manufacturer. Bajaj expects the new pulsar to sell a million units in the first year. Also, Bajaj will not advertise much for the bike, as the bike is good enough to attract customers itself.
3:40 – Mr Bajaj invites everyone for aQuestion & Answer session, followed by a photo shoot for the bike.
Questions:
GOW: Sir, the previous gen Pulsar’s featured the DTS-i technology which was carried on to a few other products from the company’s line-up; can we expect the triple-spark technology to have a similar future?
Mr Rajiv Bajaj: Well as of now, anything other than the Pulsar brand is out of question. The Pulsar range itself consists of four other models, which will get a similar facelift. Other than that, we haven’t thought of anything as yet.
GOW: Sir, with the new bike stepping in, would you be phasing out the current range of Pulsar’s after its launch? Also, when can we expect the new bike to go on sale?
Mr Rajiv Bajaj: Definitely the 220F will be phased out, as keeping two bikes which are essentially the same, makes no sense. The other bikes from the Pulsar range however, will remain in the market till they have a successor. For the new bike, we have already begun production and it will be available by the first week of April.
More pics coming soon
